The defending, and 2-time, NBA Champion Miami Heat and 4-time NBA Champion San Antonio Spurs provided an NBA Finals for the ages, filled with plenty of back-and-forth. From close games to blow-outs, the 2013 series was fun to watch, more so if the two teams, representing the Eastern and Western Conferences, were not the viewer’s favorites. If one of the two was a fave there was either, in the end, total elation or devastating heart-break.

The road to the 2013 Finals saw Miami post a league-best 66-16 record, during which time they went on an all-time NBA 2nd-best 27-0 run, and then saw them struggle against a very aggressive and much bigger Indiana Pacers squad in their Conference Final match-up taking all 7 games to win, while the Spurs (58-24) were tested in the semi-finals and then swept the Memphis Grizzlies in 4, which allowed them some much needed rest before the final games of the season.

This series saw: eclectic DWade pre-game wardrobes; Tim Duncan and Manu Ginobli of old as well as an old Tim and and old Manu; a passive LeBron James and a seriously assertive game-changing LeBron; games where the Big 3 of both teams did not fare well; an NBA record-setting barrage of behind-the-arc pumps by an individual player in the Finals, Danny Green (27), as well as by a team in one game (SA-16) and in a series (SA-61); the 3rd largest beatdown in a Finals game (SA 113 – Heat 77); a lost King James headband; a one-shoed 3-pointer by Mike Miller; double-figure double-doubles; two triple-doubles by LeBron; and numerous wild and crazy blocks, steals, slam dunks, turnovers, and overall fast-paced play, without technical or flagrant fouls.

Way late in the 4th quarter of Game 6 (i.e., 30 seconds left, leading by 5) it seemed as though San Antonio had nailed it, so much so that Miami fans were leaving American Airlines Arena and there were activities occurring behind the scene to crown the Spurs as the 2013 Champions and award the trophy. However, the Heat were having none of that (which would have been a repeat of their painful 6th game, home court loss to the Dallas Mavericks in 2011) as the NBA all-time leader in 3-pointers, Ray Allen, forced an OT which saw the Heat survive and force Game 7. Perhaps Miami Heat coach Eric Spoelstra said it best following Game 6: “They’re the best two words in sports: Game 7.”

In the end, during the final game 7 match-up, it was the Miami Heat taking advantage of unlikely, yet numerous, 4th quarter Spurs turnovers and an outstanding full-game performance by the eventual NBA Finals MVP LeBron James. The onslaught of outside shooting by both James and Wade, strongly assisted by 6 for 8 3-point sharp-shooting by, previously-in-a-funk, Shane Battier, proved a potent offensive weapon for the Heat. For pure competitiveness, incredible passion and excellent sportsmanship this series, with games 6 and 7 in particular (either of which really could have gone either way), will go down as one of the best in NBA history and MVP LeBron summed it up neatly, “They pushed us to the limit.”

All in all, a tremendously enjoyable series for fans (always much better when it goes all 7 games), resulting a disappointing loss for the runner-up San Antonio Spurs, and a great victory for the 2013 NBA Champion Miami Heat.

As a note, with their victory, the Heat join only 7 other franchises to garner at least 3 NBA Finals Champion trophies. Far and away the leaders remain the Celtics and Lakers, with 17 and 16 respectively. Following those 2 are the Bulls with 6, Spurs with 4, and, at 3 apiece, the 76ers, Heat, Pistons and Warriors.

Now it’s on to the draft and then free agency as all 29 teams place Miami in their cross-hairs in order to foil a possible Heat 3-Peat.